Arch Manning's first game at Tennessee forced Peyton Manning to choose

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Before embarking on his illustrious NFL career, Peyton Manning built a legacy in the SEC as Tennessee football's quarterback, turning Saturdays in Knoxville into a weekly showcase of touchdown passes.

Now, another Manning is set to take the stage at Neyland Stadium: his nephew, Texas quarterback Arch Manning.

Arch Manning and the top-ranked Longhorns will make their Rocky Top debut in Week 4 when they head to Knoxville for a highly anticipated showdown — and one of the week's top matchups — with the No. 13 Volunteers at noon ET on Saturday, Sept. 26.

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The 6-4 quarterback is coming off an up-and-down performance against UTSA, where he threw for two touchdowns but finished with season lows for completion percentage and passing yards. The Longhorns playmaker is 7-3 in SEC games.

Peyton Manning has never been shy about his Tennessee roots. The Volunteers legend has remained a familiar presence across Tennessee athletics, making appearances during the Vols' runs in the College World Series and March Madness, as well as at football games.

But with family ties adding another layer to Saturday's top-15 showdown, the question becomes unavoidable: Which side will the two-time Super Bowl champion be pulling for?

Who is Peyton Manning rooting for in Tennessee-Texas?

At the annual Manning Passing Academy, the former Vols quarterback was asked who he'd be rooting for when Texas makes its first trip to Neyland Stadium for both teams' SEC opener.

His answer was exactly what you might expect: a diplomatic one rooted in family ties. Rather than picking a side, Manning emphasized supporting family while remaining as neutral as possible.

"One of the kids was asking me earlier who I was gonna go for," Manning said. "And I said, 'What do you think?' And of course he said that he would go for his school over his relative. And I went, 'Well, you and I are different. You and I are wired differently.'

"Nothing's more important than your family," he continued. "But obviously it's gonna be a huge SEC game. My dad (Archie) dealt with it when I was in college when Tennessee played Ole Miss. I love my university, my alma mater. Pull for them unconditionally. But nothing's more important than my family. And when you have a nephew playing. I pull very hard for him every single Saturday. So that's pretty much a no-brainer, pulling for your nephew to play well. But like I said, everybody knows pretty strongly where my loyalties lie on all other Saturdays: the University of Tennessee."

When did Peyton Manning play at Tennessee?

Manning departed from the family tree with his college decision — as his dad, Archie, and younger brother, Eli, played at Ole Miss — to play for Tennessee.

Throughout his four-year career on Rocky Top, Manning quickly became one of the all-time greatest players in Volunteers history. Manning, the eventual No. 1 overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, finished his career at Tennessee with a 39-6 record, 11,201 passing yards and 89 passing touchdowns. He stood as the SEC's all-time career passing leader until Georgia's David Greene surpassed it in 2004.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Arch Manning's first game at Tennessee forced Peyton Manning to choose

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